Tea ball box and method of mounting tea balls therein



June 10; 1930. w, MlTCHELL 1,762,558

TEA =3ALL BOX AND METHOD OF MOUNTING TEA BALLS TflEREIN Filed March 8, 1928 IHIHIHIHIHV IIIIIIIIIIHIFIH 1L IHIIIHIIIIIIII i U [16 5 H fi'mmlmm 84 (3D 22 1| II I I I I] l I I I l I] ilm W 39 i ,A o o o o o o o INVENTOR. Wil'lfam KMiicizell Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFECE WILLIAM K. MITCHELL, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MILLIE PATENT HOLDING '00., INQ, OF NEW YORK N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEVI YORK TEA BALL BOX AND METHOD OF MOUNTING- TEA BALLS 'II-IEREIN Application filed March 8, 1828.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in boxes for holding tea balls and the method of packing said balls therein. In marketing tea balls at the present time, the balls areusually packed in boxes containing from twelve to one hundred or more. Each ball is provided with a string to Which is attached a tag. The halls are usually placed in the box in a disorderly manner with the strings laying loosely with the result that the strings very easily become entangled, and when an attempt is made to take a ball out of the box ordinarily you will find two or more balls dangling from it on account of entangled strings which, of course, is very annoying and objectionable. Furthermore, as now packed, in order to take out one of the halls it is usually necessary to grasp the bag containing the tea which from a sanitary standpoint is ob ectionable. It is a primary object of the present invention to eliminate the foregoing objections by providing a box with means for preventing the individual strings from becoming entangled with each other. Another.

object is to provide a box with means for packing the balls in a neat and orderly fashion. A still further object is to provide a box with means for packing balls therein so that the tag on the ball is always vislble and convenient to grasp. Still another obiect is an improved method of packing the balls so that each individual ball may be extracted very readily.

Other advantages and objects of my 111- vention will appear from the description to follow taken in, connection with the drawing in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my invention applied to a circular shaped box.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of another form of my invention applied to a substantially square shaped box.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of still another form of my invention applied to a rectangular shaped box. l

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view showing how the individual ball with its string is mounted.

Serial No. 260,194.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the form shown in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of still another modified form of the invention shown detached from a box.

Figure 7 is a detail view of the form shown in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another modified form.

Referring to the various views of the draw ing, in Figure 1 a box 10 circular in shape and made of metal is illustrated. The upper edge of the wall of the box terminates in a curved or beaded portion 11. A second beaded portion 12 is formed on the periphery of the box at a point near the top edge against which the cover (not shown) rests. Mounted inside of the box and close to the wall thereof are two cardboard inserts 13. I have found it preferable in this type of box to mount two separate inserts each going half way around the box. A single insert, however, going entirely around the box might be used as will be understood. The card board insert consists of a rectangular shaped body portion, the upper edge of which is provided with a plurality of slits 14 at spaced intervals for purpose which will be hereafter described. The lower edge of the cardboard insert rests on the floor of the box and its upper slitted edge is positioned close to the head 11. To effectively retain the cardboard in its proper position in the box, integrally formed lips 15 are provided, which lips extend upwardly in the space between the head 11 and the wall of the box. In Figure 2 is illustrated a substantially square shaped box 16 provided with a cover 17. In this form of box, a plurality of cardboard inserts 18, having their upper edges provided with spaced apart slits 19, are mounted therein at spaced intervals leaving compartments 20 therebetween. The cardboard inserts 18 are held in position in the box 16 by means of tongues 21 formed on either end of the inserts, which tongues pass through slots in the side wall of the box and are turned over the outside of said walls.

With reference to Figure 3, here is shown a rectangular shaped box 22 provided with the walls 29 are formed with slits 30' spaced 7 apart. This insert may be rectangular shaped as illustrated or may be square shaped to fit either a rectangular or square shaped box, respectively, as will be understood.

The form illustrated in Figure 8 is similar to that shown in Figure 6 but insteadof forming slits in the upper edge of the walls, a series of aligned openings 36 are formed adjacent the upper edges of the wall 35.

The cardboard inserts are used for mounting and packing stringed balls, such as a tea ball 31 illustrated in Figures 1 and l. Such tea balls are provided with a string 32 which carries a tag 33 at its free end. As ordinarily mounted in tea ball boxes, it is dilficult to extract a ball from the box without tangling the strings. In using the improved boxes with the cardboard inserts, the string 32 is looped as shown in Figure 4 and the looped portion forced downwardly into the slit, bringing the neck of the bag. and the tag up close to the slit with thetag on top on one side of the insert and the looped portion of the string on the opposite side. By reason of this arrangement/both ends of the string are secured leaving no free end to become entangled. The tag 33 may of course, if desired,

be glued or otherwise secured to the ball 31, thus forming the loop and eliminating the free end. When the ball 31 is thus mounted in the cardboard insert in a box like the type shown in Figure 1, the looped portion of the string 32 is disposed in the space 34 between the cardboard insert and the wall of the box as shown in dotted lines. The tea ball 31 when mounted on the rear cardboard insert in the box shown in Figure 2 has the looped portion of its string disposed between said cardboard and the rear wall of the box. /Vhen using the box shown in Figure 3 with its cardboard inserts, the looped portion of the string of the ball is disposed between the cardboard insert and the adjacent wall of the box.

In using the improved boxes, when it is desired to extract a ball, all that it is necessary to do is to grasp the tag 33 and pull on the same. The spaced apart position of the loops of the strings will usually prevent any but the string being pulled from coming out through the slit, but should it happen that The method of mounting the balls in the s improved boxes is as follows:

The cardboard insert isdetached from the box. The spring 32 is looped and the loop forced downwardly through the slit and the tag and ball brought close to the slit in the insert, with the tag resting on the ball. The slits are preferably formed in close proximity and a ball is first placed in every other slit forming a first row of balls and then a second row of balls is started by mounting a ball in each of the slits that was shipped in the first instance. The cardboard unit with the balls thus mounted is then bodily mounted in the box.

WVhile Iha-ve illustrated and described several embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that variouschanges in details of construction might be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention and I desire to be limited only by the state of the prior art and the appended claim.

I claim: I

A box for stringed balls comprising H001 and walled portions, a cardboard insert mounted adjacent said wall port-ion, said-in- H sert provided with spaced apart slits at its upper edge, each of said slits adapted to hold a string in looped formation, a member formed integrally with the upper edge of said wall portion and adaptedto overlie the upper edge of'said cardboard insert, and tongue members formed on the upper edge of said cardboard insert and positioned between said overlying member and wall porti'onto retain said insert in position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM x. MITCHELL. 

